


How wonderful life is while you are in the world

by DestielIsFuckinReal



Category: The Boys (TV 2019)
Genre: Annie and Kimiko are my best girls, F/M, Fluff, Frenchie and Kimiko are so soft and I miss them, Inspired by Poetry, Not Beta'd, Queen Maeve protection squad, we die like Homelander's sanity every new episode
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:26:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28900362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielIsFuckinReal/pseuds/DestielIsFuckinReal
Summary: Hi! I'm SO excited to write this (also because I'm really excited to write my version of Soldier Boy or at least how I imagine him to be for all the things I've read about him, the show version at least). I absolutelylove8 ways to say I love you by R. McKinley, and of course I had to write a Frenchie/Kimiko around it.ps, I don't know what the schedule of each chapter is gonna be, because I know how I am about my writing (literally, one moment I'm the goddess of words and the next hour I'm like wtf am I even doing) so I guess it's always gonna be a surprise?? Idk(and if you see me simp for Soldier Boy because of Jensen Ackles no you don't <3)
Relationships: The Female | Kimiko Miyashiro/The Frenchman
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm SO excited to write this (also because I'm really excited to write my version of Soldier Boy or at least how I imagine him to be for all the things I've read about him, the show version at least). I absolutely _love_ 8 ways to say I love you by R. McKinley, and of course I had to write a Frenchie/Kimiko around it.
> 
> ps, I don't know what the schedule of each chapter is gonna be, because I know how I am about my writing (literally, one moment I'm the goddess of words and the next hour I'm like wtf am I even doing) so I guess it's always gonna be a surprise?? Idk
> 
> (and if you see me simp for Soldier Boy because of Jensen Ackles no you don't <3)

_Spit it into her voicemail, a little slurred and sounding like the shot whiskey you downed for courage. Feel as ashamed as you do walking into work in last night’s clothes. Wake up cringing for days, waiting for her to mention it._

They call themselves Payback, a group of supes that looks like they just came out from the pages of the latest Marvel comics issue. Mallory said to keep an eye on them, they don't feel like a threat yet, but you can never know with these freaks. It's the leader, though, that caught their attention. Soldier Boy, a mix of Homelander, A-Train and Captain America, older than Stormfront and with the same bigoted ideas. Serge saw him, from a distance, walking in the Vought Tower like he owned the place, remembers Butcher mentioning the Seven looking for someone to fill the position Stormfront left open. Serge doesn't know what the deal with Soldier Boy is, maybe he wants to try, maybe he wants to gloat, he only knows that there are new supes in town, as if they didn't have enough of them already.

Later that day, Annie would say the green of his eyes felt like ice.

\---

They don't hear from Soldier Boy, or Payback, in the following days, and the Seven keep doing whatever they do, "saving" the world and making movies.

There's a knock on the door and Serge and Kimiko exchange a look, Serge taking a knife from the kitchen island as he passes by. He puts one hand on the doorknob, knife at the ready as Kimiko's hands close into fists behind him. Serge opens the door, only to find Starlight on the other side, dressed in civilian clothes and with her hands raised in surrender.

«Woah, hey!» she says, and Serge lowers his knife. In his peripheral vision, Kimiko relaxes, smiling wide when she sees Annie.

«Starlight?» Serge asks, confused.

«Kimiko gave me the address» she says, and before Serge has the time, she explains, «don't worry, we use burners, and nobody knows I'm here»

Kimiko walks over to hug her friend. Serge asks, «What are you doing here?»

«It's my day off, and I figured I could take Kimiko out, girls night and all» Annie shrugs, «Maggie is waiting at the club»

«Maggie?»

«Sorry, Queen Maeve»

Kimiko looks between Annie and Serge, her big eyes pleading him to let her go, as if he ever denied her anything.

«You know you don't need my permission to do what you want, mon coeur» he smiles. She rushes to him to hug him, and he kisses her forehead, then she and Annie walk out the door, with an half joke from Starlight to bring Cinderella back before midnight. He trusts Annie, she's been on their side for quite long time now, but he doesn't know about Queen Maeve. Sure, she helped them defeat Stormfront, she's not _all_ bad, but she still has a long way to go.

Serge decides to relax and enjoy some mindless tv, he knows Kimiko can take care of herself, and even so, there are two members of the Seven with her anyway.

He's watching people arguing over the price of a Goofy statue that seems it came out from the horror version of a Disney movie when his phone goes off signaling a text. The sender is hidden, meaning that they don't want an answer, or don't want to be tracked down, for whatever reason. Serge doesn't open it, but he can still read the words, black on white under the cracks of the touchscreen.

**_shes dead. -s_ **

Nobody knows this number, not even Butcher, so it can only mean one thing. And who it is about.

Serge never told Chérie how he felt, and how could he, they were fuck buddies at best, a no strings attached kinda thing. And now the last person he knew from that life is gone. Serge doesn't bother opening the text, he just grabs the bottle of whiskey under the sink. He downs a glass of the ember liquid for Chérie, and another for Jay. People are screaming on tv, arguing about some stupid shit, and he thinks of Kimiko. He thinks of her smile, and her laugh, he thinks of her eyes, how they shine when she sees Annie, or Hughie, or any of their friends, and how they burn with rage when she's two steps away from breaking their enemies' necks. And he loves her. God, he loves her. 

He fills another glass, dialing Kimiko's number. She has to know it, he _needs_ to tell her. He finishes the content of the glass in two gulps as he presses the phone to his ear. He's not surprised when the voice tells him to leave a message after the _beep_ , and he sighs, only partly to gather his courage.

«Hi, mon coeur,» he smiles, «I just wanted to say, I hope you're having fun, god knows you deserve a break and... I don't know when you'll hear this, _if_ you'll hear this, but I just wanted you to know that you mean so much to me, and I...» he takes a deep breath, as to prepare for impact, «What I'm trying to say is, I love you» he slurs, «you don't have to say anything, it was just...» he sighs, «n'a pas d'importance, I'll see you in the morning, mon coeur»

He hangs up, carelessly throwing the phone next to him on the couch. There's an explosion of colors and cheers on tv, and Serge takes another couple of swings of whiskey before falling asleep.

\---

Serge is shaken awake some hours later, the tv is off and a glance at the small window to the right shows a pitch black sky. Kimiko is looking down at him, a small smile on her lips and fondness in her eyes. She doesn't mention the voicemail when she takes his hands and drags him to bed, and he doesn't ask her as they settle into bed, her head on his chest. They don't talk about it the next morning, and Serge doesn't know why it's so difficult to even think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think :) kudos and comments are greatly appreciated since they're the driving force behind my will to write


	2. II.

_Sigh it into her mouth, wedged in between teeth and tongues. Don’t even let your lips move when you say it, ever so lightly, into the air. Maybe it was just an exhalation of ecstasy._

Hughie wanted to show them his new office. Nothing fancy, and there's no need to still stay low, so he thought that maybe meeting for an hour or two wouldn't hurt anyone. Annie is already there when Serge and Kimiko walk through the glass doors of the building, and MM said he had something with his daughter first, so he'll be a little late.

The office, it turns out, looks more like a newspaper than a politician's office, what with the cubicles spread on the whole floor, and a private office with glass doors and an expensive desk. Neuman's, Serge supposes.

They make their way to Hughie and Annie, who's laughing at something he said, the sound loud and musical. Hughie notices them and waves them over.

«Look at you,» Serge grins, patting Hughie on the shoulder, «all grown up and with a job»

«I _had_ a job» Hughie rolls his eyes good-naturedly, and Serge waves him off.

«That was before us»

They catch up a little, when the doors open, and Mother's Milk walks in, taking in the room, eyes shifting from desk to desk and landing to the group of people in front of him.

«Sorry I'm late» he says, «so, what did I miss?»

Hughie shakes his head, «Nothing really, we were waiting for you»

MM nods, looks around the place, «This is where you work then»

«It's not much» Hughie shrugs, «but the computers are state of the art»

Serge eyes the pc on the desk they all gathered around, from the computer to the monitor to the keyboard, «New generation» he breathes, awed. This model is the newest one on the market, probably about a week old.

Hughie nods, «Neuman spared no expanses for this baby» he pats the computer, that gives a soft metal sound at the touch. «I didn't drag you here just to show you this place, I have an idea. I know about Payback, if they turn out to be a threat, we have to be prepared, we need somewhere to lay low, plan our moves and know theirs, and the wifi here is crazy fast»

«But wouldn't your boss know that you were here doing research on supes?» MM asks, arms crossed over his chest and one eyebrow raised skeptically.

Annie squeezes Hughie's hand, a mix of pride and fondness in her eyes, and he takes something from his pocket, «There's a program in this drive that hides us from the computer, the wifi, everything, it's like a shadow that obscures us even from the latest access, so, technically speaking, for the operating system we were never there, nobody can track us either and, let's be real, in the basements Butcher usually drags us to, the wifi doesn't work on a normal day»

MM considers Hughie's words, walking back and forth. Then, he says, «Does he know? Butcher, I mean»

«No, I tried to reach him, but...» Hughie trails off, shaking his head.

«Ah, don't take it too personally, mon ami, that's Butcher for you» Serge sighs, and Kimiko nods along, smiling up at Hughie, who smiles back at her. He looks back at MM, then Serge and Kimiko.

«What do _you_ think?»

«It's not a bad idea» MM says, and Serge agrees, «and you're right, we need to keep an eye on them»

«And I can tell you if Soldier Boy ever comes back to the tower» Annie adds.

«Dream team back in action!» Serge exclaims, obtaining a laugh from the others.

They catch up some, when Kimiko's eyes land on something over Hughie's shoulder, hidden between a fern and an old-style water dispenser.

«What?» Hughie asks, following her line of sight, then exhales an "oh" when he notices what she's looking at, walking to retrieve it.

«Plastic mistletoe?» Annie says, amused, and Hughie explains, «Must have fallen off during the Christmas party and forgotten»

Kimiko carefully takes it from his hands, marveling at the red berries and green leaves and the delicate, red ribbon tying it all together, like it's the first time she's ever seen it and, thinking about it, maybe it is.

«Do you know why people kiss under the mistletoe?» Annie asks offhandedly.

«It's a Norse myth, right?» MM says.

Annie nods, «Yep. It's said that Balder was Freya's favorite son, and Loki, jealous, wanted to kill him. When Freya knew about her other son's plans, she asked the four elements, all animals and all plants to protect him, except small little mistletoe, so Loki made an arrow out of its branches and gave it to Hodur, who ended up killing Balder. Freya, heartbroken, cried all her tears over her dead son's body, the tears turned into berries who revived Balder, and Freya, joyous, kissed her son and whoever passed under the trees where mistletoe grew»

Silence follows, and Annie looks down, a faint pink gracing her cheeks, «What? I just love mythology»

«I think it's great» Hughie says with a fond smile and Annie gives him a grateful look.

«I didn't even know there were more of them than Odin, Thor and Loki» Serge admits and Kimiko chuckles, signing something like how she'd like to know more, if Annie wants to tell her, that Serge translates. Annie says that yeah, she can tell her everything she wants, any time she wants, and Kimiko beams at her. When she presents the mistletoe to Hughie, he shakes his head, saying, «Keep it, it's not that we can't get another one in the next ten months» and Kimiko gives him the barely-there smile Serge is always hopeless to.

\---

It's growing dark when Serge and Kimiko go back to their hidden apartment. They agreed that if ever Payback will be heard of again, they'll regroup and make up plans, maybe try to reach Butcher, even if it meant stalker him like the damn fbi.

Kimiko flops on the couch, a small smile on her face as she looks at the mistletoe in her hands. When Serge joins her, she gives him a mischievous look before raising the little plastic thing over their heads. He looks at it, then back at Kimiko, heart jackhammering in his chest in a rhythm that sounds too close to her name.

«Mon coeur...» he starts, but she doesn't let him finish, because she rolls her eyes and kisses him. It's nothing too much or too elaborate, just a brush of lips, and Kimiko is smiling in the kiss, almost shy, and it's like time stopped nonetheless.

In the air between them, Serge breathes, «I love you»

The kiss falters for a moment, and Kimiko's smile turns soft, the same softness is mirrored in her eyes. She kisses him more firmly, but still too shortly. When they break apart, Kimiko keeps smiling for the rest of the day.


	3. III.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Terribly sorry for the wait, I wanted to post it on Valentine's day but something came up and, like, I "threw off my groove" (and no, that's definitely not an Emperor's new groove reference lol) anyway, hope you enjoy :)

_Buy her flowers. Buy her chocolate. Buy her a teddy bear, because that’s what every romantic comedy has taught you. Take her out to a nice restaurant where neither of you feel comfortable and spend the whole night clearing your throat and tugging at your tie. Feel like your actions are more suited to a proposal than the simple confession of something you’ve always known._

«Should I ask Kimiko out on a date?» Serge asks out of the blue, making MM's eyes go wide and Hughie almost choke on his drink. They're in a poorly lit pub of dubious quality hidden in a back alley that stinks of piss and dumpsters.

«Where does this come from?» Hughie asks once he stops coughing at the same time MM says, «You _still_ haven't asked her out?»

Serge raises his hands up in exasperation, « _When_ would I have asked her with all the shit we've been through these past months?»

Someone walks over to the jukebox in the corner and plays _Heroes_ by David Bowie and Serge almost snorts. Bowie's heroes aren't the kind that fly, or shoot lasers from their eyes, sure, but he can't help it, just the word makes him roll his eyes. Some heroes there are around. Cheers raise from the pool table near the back exit, and Serge turns his attention back to MM, who's saying something about taking her out to a nice restaurant or something.

«And don't make things too complicated like Linguini and Colette over there» he points at Hughie, who scoffs.

« _Excuse_ me, we're just friends»

MM rolls his eyes, «Oh please, you clearly still care about each other, love isn't something you can switch off over night, it isn't brains, kids, it's blood»

Hughie raises one eyebrow, «Did you really just quote _Spike_?»

«I married a Slayerette» MM shrugs, «my point is, stop fooling yourselves and go on a date» he then turns to Serge, «and you too»

\---

He asks her the next day, more nervous than he ought to be and feeling like a teenager asking his crush to prom. Kimiko just nods fervently and hugs him, a huge grin on her face that doesn't leave when she takes out her phone and starts typing into it, texting Annie, he thinks, who drops by half an hour before their date, saying that she'll get Kimiko ready and that he can go make the reservation or pass the time with MM, or Hughie, or both, and when Serge says it won't be necessary, that he can wait at home until she's ready so they can walk there together, Annie laughs.

«Frenchie!» she says with a smile, «Just go»

So he does.

It's not freezing outside, for a February night, but his breath still turns to fog when he exhales as he thinks of places to go on a first date. The movies? Lame. Besides, there's nothing good, unless one finds movies of the Seven good. Restaurant? Still lame, but at least he can eat something more substantial than popcorn and candies. He finds a little restaurant, family-run, with close to no waiting line, not too far away from their apartment, where the soft orange lights give the whole thing a cozy, familiar atmosphere. There's a man selling lilies with a cart, who smiles when he catches Serge looking and beckons him over.

«You look nervous, my friend» he says, «special night?»

Serge chuckles, scratches the back of his neck, «You can say that»

«Not to be too forward, but maybe you can surprise that special someone with some flowers?»

Serge eyes the cart, the lilies adorning the surface making it look like something out of a fairytale, or one of some vendor at the feet of the Tour Eiffel in a spring morning at the start of last century. And he thinks, it's a date, right? Isn't buying flowers something romantic comedies always have? And he wants to give Kimiko the full experience, so he nods, and buys a single white lily, a simple token, he's never been one of grand gestures, and Kimiko isn't either.

Five minutes to their date, he shoots Kimiko a text, telling her the name of the restaurant where to meet. He's glad it hasn't a dress code, so his dark jeans, white shirt and leather jacket don't look too out of place. He's lead to a table near the back and some moments later, a chirpy redhead with freckles allover her face walks up to him.

«Hi, I'm Stacy and I'll be your waitress tonight» she says, all smiles and musical voice, «Are you expecting someone or can we start?»

«Actually, I'm waiting for-» what? His girlfriend? His literal partner in crime? The girl he's been madly in love with since the moment they saved her, the one who trusted him and only him, when she didn't have to? He settles for, «-someone»

Stacy just smiles, «No worries, I'll be back later» and walks off.

Almost ten minutes pass when the door opens and Kimiko walks inside. She's dressed in blue slacks, a white blouse with delicate black details and a jacket, the same blue as her- or, rather, Annie's, slacks, and when she spots Serge, her smile is so radiant it doesn't even hold a candle to the midday sun. She's so beautiful. And he is so in love.

Serge stands up when she approaches. «Wow... you...» he stammers, because no word, in English or even French, can ever come close to Kimiko, so stubborn, and frayed at the edges, and even scary at the times, and so incredibly beautiful, and even that doesn't even begin to cut it. Not now, not ever.

Kimiko blushes and looks down, her fingers finding the white trims of the tablecloth, following the small rectangles of it.

They take their seats and Serge gives her the lily, Kimiko smiles, surprised, her eyes turn soft at the edges as she takes it from his hands and puts it in her hair. Serge wants to kiss her.

Just then, Stacy comes back, «Well, aren't you the cutest couple I've seen today. Can I get you something to drink while you order?»

They order two beers, and Stacy leaves not before handing them the menus. Serge eyes the elegant lettering of the various dishes with the most pretentious names and descriptions he has ever seen. He looks up at Kimiko, who's scanning her menu with a raised eyebrow, probably thinking the same thing.

«Hey» he says softly, and Kimiko looks up, «this is a little...» much he wants to say, but doesn't have the time, because Kimiko scrunches up her nose and nods, and Serge smiles. He takes her hand in his and says, «Wanna get out of here?»

Kimiko grins and drags him out of the restaurant, after he leaves enough money on the table for the beers and a little something for Stacy for the inconvenience.

Kimiko leads him through the orange lit streets, her fingers woven through his the whole time, until they find a fast food truck at the egde of town. And yeah, that's more like it. They order burgers and fries, and find a seat in one of the tables spread on the free space in front of it. 

It's not the fanciest, or the most elegant, like the ones you see in a romantic movie, but it's _them_. One doesn't need, Serge thinks, to make grand gestures to say those three little words to someone, because love is a grand gesture in itself. And he loves Kimiko, he doesn't need silk tablecloths or gold-lettering menus to show her, and just seeing her stuff fries into her mouth, and chug her beer down like a champ, smiling, smiling _at him_ , with both her eyes and her mouth, when she puts the bottle back on the table, maybe... maybe he loves her a little more.


	4. IV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter?? Only three days after the last one??? Ok, to be fair, it's a direct continuation of the other one, so it made sense, and shorter than the others

_Whisper it into her hair in the middle of the night, after you’ve counted the space between her breaths and are certain she’s asleep. Shut your eyes quickly when she shifts toward you in askance. Maybe you were just sleep whispering._

It's late when they get back home, giggly and satisfied like two teenagers. Serge trips into the couch and almost fall, if it wasn't for Kimiko's hands on his arms. She's laughing and it is something to obsess over, something to put in a jar and keep it close to your heart and listen to on the rainy days, when the difference from day and night melts together and the sky rumbles with thunder.

They get ready for bed, Kimiko curling up on Serge's body, arm around his middle, and Serge's arm around her shoulders, like it's natural, like something they've always done. And they did.

Serge stares at the ceiling, counting the seconds along the clock of the other room as they tick by, his fingers absent-mindedly playing with Kimiko's hair where it falls on her shoulder, her breath evening out more and more. He thinks of last night, her smile when that old lady said what a cute couple they were, so beautiful and ethereal, like the first smile she wore after they rescued her. Serge looks down at her, his heart swelling with love and adoration he feels for the woman in his arms, and nothing compares, nothing ever compared to it, to love someone so purely, so fiercely.

Kimiko shifts a fraction, moving closer to Serge, sighing contentedly in her sleep. Serge kisses the top of her head.

«I love you» he whispers, «you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I love you» 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone reading this, I love you all, and thank you for still keeping up with it. And hey, we're already halfway there! And I promise there will be more Payback (I've had something planned since before I started writing this). Thanks again and see you next time


End file.
